A former bookkeeper charged with stealing from the Oceanside Elks Lodge failed to appear for her arraignment hearing, authorities said.

Morri Lee Kelsey, 55, was the bookkeeper for the Elks Lodge No. 1561, and forged checks from Feb. 17, 2010, to Feb. 1 of this year, according to court documents. Authorities didn't specify a dollar amount, saying that it was more than $950.

An Elks member who helped record the lodge's finances told the North County Times that the theft may have been tens of thousands of dollars over as many as six years.

Prosecutors filed five felony charges against Kelsey in June. If convicted, she could receive a sentence between six and 15 years in prison.

Oceanside police received a report that the Elks Lodge bookkeeper was defrauding the nonprofit in March, said Lt. Leonard Mata.

Officials at the San Diego County District Attorney's office said that Kelsey failed to appear for an arraignment hearing on July 19. Often, that results in an arrest warrant, though officials could not confirm that one had been issued for Kelsey.

Kelsey's Facebook profile said she used to work for Bank of America and Citizens Business Bank. She didn't return phone messages left Wednesday.

Fred Johnson, who was listed as having prepared the Oceanside Elks Lodge's 2010 nonprofit financial documents, said that he and others at the lodge had been trying to root out financial discrepancies for years.

Finally, a problem with vendor payments revealed the scheme, he said. He said he and other lodge members couldn't believe that Kelsey had been charged.

"If you met the woman, you would be shocked," he said. "She'd be the last person you'd think would do this. She just didn't appear to have any devious bone in her body."

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is a nationwide social club that places an emphasis on faith and patriotism. Members conduct rituals and commit themselves to community service, according to the Elks website.

Members must be U.S. citizens at least 21 years old who believe in God and are of good moral character, the site says.

The Oceanside lodge includes a large dining room and a recreational vehicle park, according to its website.

"It's very sad," Johnson said. "A nonprofit organization, it's ripe for fraud if you let somebody control the books. ... This happened in Little Leagues, this has happened a lot."